Pneumatic action for musical instruments.



A. DE KLEIST.

PNEUMATIC ACTION P OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED 4MAY 6, 1910.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

2 SHEET B-SHEET 1.

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11W l y 7 "927% A. DE'KLEIST. y PNEUMATI-G ACTION FOR MUSIGALINSTRUMENTS.

\ A APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1910. 1,041,487, Y Patented oei-.15,1912

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

OO OOOOOOd 00000000 OCD O W l y w *997%v l AGUST DE KLEIST, OF NORTE-TONAWANDA, NEV YCRK.

PNEUMTIC ACTION FOR. MUSICAL INSTREYETS.

Specification' of Letters Patent.

rarenteu oet. 1s ,isla

Application filed May 6; 1310.` Serial No. 559,824.

To all trimm/t may concern.:

Be it known that I, AUGUST DE Kmns'r, a citizen of the United States,residingat North Tonawanda, in the county of Erie and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Actions forMusical Instruments, of which thel following is a specification. I

This invention relates to self-playing musical instruments having avpneumatic' action which is controlled by the usual perforated musicsheet.

One of its objects is to Aimprove the wind chest of the action with aview of simplifyT- ing its construction7 reducing its cost and renderingitmore compact.

A further' object is to so construct the wind chest that access can beconveniently had to any of the valves of the pneumatic action withoutthe necessity of dismembering the whole chest; and to construct thechest in sections in such manner that in the event otl any of its mainparts splitting or otherwise becoming unserviceable, the detective partscan be readily replaced with-n out disturbing or renewing other parts ofthe chest.

ln the accompanying drawings consisting.

et two sheets: Figure l is a transverse section of the wind chest takenthrough one of the valve chambers. Fig. 2 is a similar section taken`through the exhaust conduit or connection of the chest. Fig. 3 is afrage mentary horizontal section. on line 3-3, Fig. l. Fig'. et is arear view otheqhest With the motor pneumatics shown in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the,set/'eral views.

The wind chest. comprises a main vertical or longitudinal front sectionA containing an hexhaust chamber which extends throughout the length ofthe chestJ and one or more longitudinal rear sections, valve-boards orbars C secured to the rear side of the front sectionli, one above"another, by screws l) or other suitable means.

As shown in the drawings,`tl main or front section of the chestcomprises a front wall a, a rear Awall al, a top board a2, a bottomboard or st z3j and end walls at.

D. indicates a. ti rer board of ordinary construction;A and E thecustomary motor pneumatics, the movable boards of which are connectedwith the usualr abstracts which actuate the parts of the piano-actionplate o.

, cleats g or other sound shown in the drawings. y In the preferredconstruction shown. the

valve-boards C are separated toforni spaces which receive the frontportions of the mo? tor pneumatics, the stationary top boards c of thelatter being glued or otherwise secured to the underside of thecorresponding valve board. Each of these valve-boards contains a row ofvalve-chambers g, one `for .each of the corresponding series ot' motorpneumatics. As shown in Fig. l7 each motor pneumatic is connectedwiththe corre spending valve chamber by a port .fi preferably iormcd inthebottom of the latter This valve chamber communicates with the outeratmosphere by one or more ports 'i preferably formed in its rear walland with the exhaust chamber B by an exhaust port `j i'orrried in aplate J whichV covers the front end of the valve chamber. This plate isscrewed or other rise removably secured to therear 'wallie1 oit theexhaust sectioni of the chest, so to be readily accessible upon removingthe front board c of said section, which latter is secured place byscrews a? or other apjgn'opriate tastenintas5 The air port c' andexhaust port of eachv valve cha'riber are controlled by the cusu tomaryvalves 7c, icl, both mounted on a stein 7a2 which is guided the rearportion of the corresponding valve board and in the l [a spring lappli:d to .thx valvestem between the air valve /t and a internal.shoulder or" the valve-board C servesto hold.

said valves in the normal position shown in Figs. and 3.

The front portion of each valve stern er@ tends into the exhaust chamberE and terminates in the usual button which bears against the pouchorpneumatic fm covering' a pouch chamber a in the inner side of thepouch-board or removable outer vail c ot' une vrind chest. Leading toeach ol2 these pouch-chambers is a channel o which is connected with thecorresponding duct et the traclrenbcard D by a tube 7). As shown inlfig. l, the channels 0 are lorincd partly in the upper portion of thepouch-board o and partly in the top board L2 ot the wind chest. The rearportions of the valve boards arc preferably secured toc/ether by orothersuitablc ind "he motor-pneumatics of cach row may likewise be tiedtogether by a strip or producing members, not

lil() s indicates a suction troni; connected with y this type is wellymosphere enters the pouch the usual main bellows or pump of theinstrument, not shown in the drawings, and leading to the exhaustchamber E, as seen in Fig.2. y

As the operation of pneumatic actions of understood, a brief descriptionoit the operation of the present one will sutlce. ln the normal positionof the parts, the air valves la are open, the exhaust valves .k1 'areclosed and the motor pneumatics areexpanded. When a perforationo themusic sheet registers with the corresponding tracker duct, the outeratchamber n through the channel o and reverses the position of. thepouch m', thereby opening the exhaust valve and closingthe air valve andplacing the corresponding motor-pneumatic in communication with theexhaust chamber B. The pneumatic is thereby collapsed and caused toactuate the corresponding abstract f. When an mperforate portion of themusic sheet closes said tracker-duct, the spring Z returns' the exhaust`and air valves to their former position, flushing the motor pneumaticand again intlating it in the usual manner.

ln order to adjust or regulate the valves of the action, it is onlynecessary to remove the front or pouch board a of the chest,

. while if it be desired to repair, clean or renew' any of the-2 valves,they can be conven y removing sald iently reached by simpl ouch boardtogether with the guide4 plate J of the defective valve, thus affordingready access to the valves without requiring removal of other parts ofthe chest or they` pneumatic action and withouhpdisturbingj A any otherparts.

ln case any of should ycheck or split in Y the defective board can he 1-anvenientiy screwed from the maii `section A of the valve-boards .orbars C the course of time,

ullthe Copies of this patent may be obtainedffor ve cents each, byaddressing the cess thereto prising section and individually iront endsof said noemer chest and repaired or replaced by a new board without thenecessity of disturbing or renewing any of the remaining valve boards orother parts, thus materially reducing the cost of such repairs andrenewals.

It will be observed that this improved chest comprises comparatively ewparts and is exceedingly simple in construction, enabling it to beproduced at small cost and to be repaired by ordinary mechanics. lt ismoreover compact and narrowl from -itront to rear, leaw ing acorrespondingly greater space between iit and `the piano-action or othersound producing parts of the instrument and permitting more 'convenientacfor adjusting purposes. l claim as my invention:

The combination. of a windchest coma section containing an exhaustchamber and having a removable front wall, a plurality vof separatevalve boards securedV to the batik of the rear -wall of said removabletherefrom, each of said valve boards containing al row bf valve`chambers extending through said rear wall and communicating with saidexhaust chamber, guide platesl covering the valve chambers andcontaining exhaust ports, said plates being removably secured to therear wall of said exhaust chamber, air and exhaustvalves in said valvechambers having their stems guided in said removable plates, motorpneumatics connected with said valve chambers, and operatinldiaphragpnsl for said valves applied to the innerl sideJ of sairemovable front w'all.

Mar,

Vitness my hand 'this 3d day v0i! AUGUST. DnKLElST. Witnesses:

NORMAN D. FISH, W. H. VVENDELL.

(llommissioner of latents,

-Washingtom D. C.

